Therapeutic table



March 27, 1962 N. J. LAZZARA 3,027,208

THERAPEUTIC TABLE Filed July 6, 1960 FIG. -L

FIG. 5.

INVENTOR. /V/CWOLA-S JI LA ZZAEA) United States Patent Ofifice 3,027,208 Patented Mar. 27, 1962 3,027,208 THERAPEUTIC TABLE Nicholas J. Lazzara, 163 Meade Ave., Passaic, NJ. Filed July 6, 1960, Ser. No. 41,055 Claims. (Cl. 311-7) The present invention is concerned with a therapeutic table for the relief of phlegm from the respiratory passages of a human.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a table having multiple sections for supporting a person lying face downward with one of said sections for supporting the trunk of the body of said person being pivoted and driven for moving the trunk and head of said person to a near vertical position for aiding in the ejection of phlegm from the trachea or lungs through the mouth when the persons head is below his/her body and then returning the person to a horizontal position under the control of said person.

A further and important object of the invention is to provide a table for supporting a human body horizontally including adjustable end extension and one such extension for supporting the portion of the body above the waist is power operated for being moved to a near vertical position while supporting the shoulders to prevent the sliding of the body as well as providing handles to be manually grasped to aid in supporting the body and then returned me horizontal position when desired and which table can be quickly and readily folded to close the ends thereof with the shoulder supports and handles being foldable for disappearing from view when not in use.

Further objects of the invention will be in part pointed out in the following description of the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the present table with a portion broken away.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the table with a portion broken away and showing the operation of the extension in dotted lines.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detailed sectional view of the end portion of a table extension, and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detailed view of pivoted handle forming part of the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing, wherein like and corresponding parts are designated by similar reference characters, numeral 1 indicates the four supporting uprights connected together at their bottom ends by longitudinal frame members 2 and lateral frame members 3. Each upright has a caster 4 attached to the end thereof for supporting the same upon a surface.

A plate 5 is connected to and extends between the top ends of each of said uprights 1 for being supported in a substantially horizontal position thereby. A pad 6 of a soft or resilient material is mounted upon said plate.

A hinge 7 has one leaf thereof connected to an end of said plate extending laterally of the plate end and has its other leaf fixedly connected to a rigid top extension 8 with said extension extending longitudinally of plate 5. A pivot 9 is fixedly connected to the bottom face of said top extension and has toothed arm 10 connected thereto for pivoting relative to said top extension. A rod 11 is connected to a pair of said uprights 1 for being engaged by the teeth of arm 10 to adjustably position extension 8 as desired.

The opposite end of plate 5 has one leaf of a hinge 12 fixedly connected thereto and extending laterally of said plate. An extension plate 13 has the other leaf of said hinge 12 fixedly connected thereto for supporting said plate 13 longitudinally in line with plate 5. A pivot 14 is fixedly connected to the bottom face of plate 13 and has one end of a connecting rod 15 connected thereto for pivoting thereon relative to plate 13. Pin 16 pivotally connects the other end of said connecting rod to a crank 17.

Crank 17, which is shown as a disc, may have other conventional configurations for this purpose, is fixedly mounted on an axle 18 extending from a reduction gear box 19. Said gear box is driven by a pulley 20 around which passes a belt 21 and which also passes around a pulley 22 fixedly mounted upon shaft 23. A pulley 24 is further fixedly mounted on said shaft and connected by an endless belt 25 to pulley 26 fixedly connected to an electric motor 27 for being rotated thereby. Said pulleys are of various diameters to give said gear box the desired speed of rotation.

A pair of supporting arms 28 and 29 rotatably support said shaft 23 and are fixedly mounted upon a base 30 supported by said frame members 2 and 3. Motor 27 and gear box 19 are likewise fixedly mounted on said base 30.

Top extension 13 has a soft or resilient pad 31 mounted thereon which pad has a pair of counter-sunk open-top receptacles 32 extending longitudinally of said pad. Said receptacles are of a rigid material and are fixedly connected within said pads in any conventional manner as by an adhesive or by bolts to extension 13. Each receptacle has a lateral stub axle 33 fixedly mounted therein while a pair of shoulder supports 34 are each pivotally connected at one end to one of said stub axles and capable of pivoting into its respective receptacle or therefrom to an upright position. Said shoulder supports are limited in their pivoting from their receptacle by contacting the ends of the receptacle.

Said top extension 13 has an upright flange 35 extending around the edges thereof for retaining pad 31 thereon.

A pair of handles are fixedly connected to top extension 13 and each comprises a base 36 connected to flange 35 in any conventional manner such as by welding or nuts and bolts while an L-shaped arm 37 extends from said base 36 longitudinally of extension 13. Said arm 37 has an L-shaped cross-sectional configuration providing a bottom 38. The base 39 of said arm acts as a stop for handle 41 which is pivotally connected upon a stub axle 40 fixedly mounted upon bottom 38. Said handle 41 is thus capable of pivoting onto base 38 or therefrom until stopped by the base 39.

In the use of the present table, a person suffering from an over-abundance of phlegm in the respiratory passages, particularly those having an acute case of bronchial asthma, may obtain relief therefrom by lying face downward upon pad 6 with their shoulder abutting against members 34 positioned in an upright manner. The patients legs can lay upon extension 8 which may be adjusted to any comfortable position by moving arm 10 relative to red 11 for moving said extension 8 upwardly or downwardly.

The patient, when so positioned, should then grasp handles 41, which have been pivoted outwardly from their arms 37 and by flipping switch 42 through its lever 43 can start the operation of motor 27, which is connected by wires 44 to said switch and to a source of electrical current. The starting of motor 27 will, through the pulleys 20, 22, 24 and 26 and belts 21 and 25, drive gear box 19 and thereby crank 17 giving said crank a relatively slow controlled rotation which, in turn, through the connection rod 15, moves extension 13 from a horizontal position to vertical position or any intermediate position with the result that the trunk and head of the person thereon can be slowly lowered to a position suitable to the person so that the phlegm is ejected through the month by gravity with a minimum of effort on the part of the person. When the desired position of extension 13 is reached, switch 42 is operated to stop motor 27 whereby said extension and the body thereon will be held in that position. Such a position is indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 2. To return the body to its horizontal position, switch 42 is turned on starting motor 27 which moves extension 13 through a complete oscillation back to the horizontal whereupon motor 27 can again be stopped.

When the present table is not in use, arm 10 can be raised permitting the lowering of extension 8 and crank 17 can be operated to lower extension 13 to a vertical position. Shoulder supports 34 are pivoted onto their receptacles 32 and by frictional engagement therewith will be retained therein. Likewise handles 41 can be pivoted onto bases 38 and again by frictional engagement therewith will be retained inthat position. Thus, the table can be moved upon the casters 4 to any location for utilizing a minimum amount of space. Uprights 1 can be covered in an ornamental material if it is desired to improve appearance of the table.

The present table is, accordingly, capable of considerable modification and such changes thereto as come within the scope of the appended claims is deemed to be a part of the present invention.

I claim:

1. A therapeutic table for humans comprising a table having a top to be supported horizontally, a top extension pivotally connected to one end of said table top for being oscillated vertically and capable of supporting the torso of a person thereon, driving means mounted on said table and connected to said top extension for oscillatingsaid top extension from a horizontal position to a downwardly extending substantially vertical position and back to a horizontal position and means carried by said top extension for supporting the shoulders of a person lying face downward on said table top and top extension.

2. A therapeutic table for humans as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of spaced-apart uprights are mounted on the other end of said top extension for retaining the shoulders of a person thereon when said top extension moves downwardly.

3. A therapeutic table for humans as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of handles extend laterally from the other end of said top extension for being manually grasped by the person on said table to aid in retaining his position thereon.

4. A therapeutic table for humans as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of handles extend laterally from the other end of said table top extension, an electric motor is operatively connected to said driving means for op erating the same and a switch for controlling said motor is mounted on one of said handles.

5. A therapeutic table for humans as claimed in claim 1, wherein said top extension has an upper face with recesses therein adjacent the other end of said top extension, a plurality of uprights are each pivotally mounted within one of said top extension recesses for being pivoted to an upright position and from the same to within said recesses, means is provided for preventing said uprights from pivoting beyond said upright position and a plurality of handles are .each pivotally connected to the other end of said =op extension for being pivoted between positions in line x pith said top extension and laterally thereof.

ReferenceswCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,115,794 Eriksen Nov. 3, 1914 1,749,867 Allison .Mar. 11, 1930 1,778,698 Walter Oct. 14, 1930 2,172,941 Manning et al Sept. 12, 1939 2,217,783 Bell Oct. 15, 1940 2,494,746 Colston Jan. 17, 1950 2,579,783 Branto Dec. 25, 1951 2,647,026 Shampaine July 28, 1953 

